


Sister Act

by bayoublackjack



Series: Stars & Stripes Forever [21]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers Tower, F/M, Meet the Family, POV Martha Jones, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Protective Siblings, Sibling Bonding, Sisters, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson Friendship, Up all night to get Bucky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-16 18:59:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4636590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bayoublackjack/pseuds/bayoublackjack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Martha’s big sister Tish comes to New York for a visit, the initial meeting between her and Steve doesn’t exactly go as planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sister Act, Part 1

The price of living in Manhattan was high so Martha’s flat was just a tiny studio in Murray Hill, selected for both its reasonable rent and proximity to UNIT headquarters in Turtle Bay.   It was meager accommodations by most standards, and certainly smaller than her places in Washington and London, but it suited her well enough.  She and Steve had shared the space comfortably for months, but she same couldn’t be said for her current bedmate.

As previously discussed, Martha’s big sister Tish had accrued enough time off from work for a proper holiday.  Begrudgingly, Martha had agreed to allow Tish to stay with her instead of a hotel.  It wasn’t that she didn’t love her sister, because she did.  Tish was her best mate.  Part of the problem was that Tish’s arrival forced Steve back to the Tower, which admittedly was tolerable following their long distance arrangement but she still missed waking up in his arms.

Martha’s main complaint, however, was that her sister had seemingly packed half her wardrobe when she made the journey across the pond.  A wardrobe that she appeared to be determined to double in size if the amount of shopping bags that cramped the already confined space were any indication.

Martha exhaled sharply as she deposited her sister’s laundry on top of her sleeping form.  Tish stirred when she felt the weight of her clothes.  “What are you doing?” she whined sleepily.

“Well I’m not doing your washing,” Martha retorted irritably.  “Can you at least _try_ to be tidy for once in your life?”

Tish sat up, wiping the sleep from her eyes.  “I’m on holiday.”

“Yea, but I’m not.  I work all day then have to come home to your mess.”

“Fine!”  Tish rolled her eyes as she stood up from the bed, knocking the clothes to the ground in the process.  “I’ll do all the washing… _after_ I’ve had a cuppa.”

“Whatever,” Martha said with an exasperated sigh.  Despite her refusal, she began gathering Tish’s things from the ground, just as they both knew that she would.   It was like their childhood all over again.  Tish was the eldest, but Martha usually ended up cleaning up her messes, literally and metaphorically.

“So what’s the plan for tonight?” Tish questioned once she had poured them both a cup of tea.

“Dinner,” Martha answered, arranging Tish’s clothes into neat stacks.

“Somewhere high profile?” Tish asked hopefully.  “Three days in Manhattan and I’ve yet to see a proper celebrity.  I mean I saw Tom Hiddleston on the tube back home just before I came out here,” she informed her.  “I was nearly late to work because I missed my stop staring at him.”  She sighed wistfully into her mug.  “He’s so pretty!”

“I’m not taking you someplace to stalk celebrities,” Martha retorted as she lifted her cup to her lips.  “Besides, it’s not so much the location as the company.”

“Company?”  Tish quirked a brow.  “So do I finally get to meet this mystery bloke of yours?”

Martha offered a simple nod in response as she drank her tea.   She and Steve had discussed the issue at length once Tish confirmed her travel plans.  They figured it best to make introductions on neutral ground, so they had reservations for a little trattoria not far from Avengers Tower.  Knowing her sister as she did, Martha was sure that Tish would want a tour of the skyscraper once she found out just who Steve was, especially if there was even a passing chance of her meeting her celebrity crush Tony Stark in the flesh.

“With all I’ve heard about him, I’m surprised you could separate yourself long enough to get anything done,” Tish teased.

“Whatever.”

“So you _didn’t_ lock yourself in the bath last night so I couldn’t hear your conversation?”

“Shut up,” Martha shot back with a playful eye roll.

“Hey, introduce me to the right bloke and you’ll have the place to yourselves tonight,” Tish insisted.  “Does he have any mates?”

“A few…”

“ _Hot_ ones?”

“Yes.”

“My kind of hot or _your_ kind of hot?”

Martha scoffed.  “What does that even mean?”

“It means a pretty face is slightly less pretty when he’s blathering on about shit I don’t care about,” Tish retorted bluntly.  “They’re not the geeky types you’re into, are they?”

To the best of her knowledge, Sam and Bruce were the only friends of Steve that were currently single, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to unleash her sister on either of them.  “Well one of them is a scientist…”

Tish cut her off with a dismissive flick of her hand.  “Ugh, next.”

“Once again I feel inclined to remind you that your precious Tony Stark is a great big science geek,” Martha retorted, defensively on Bruce’s behalf.

“Once again I feel inclined to remind _you_ that he makes up for it in looks, charm and about a billion other ways.”

“I swear you weren’t always this shallow,” Martha commented as she stood up from the bed to take her empty cup over to the sink.

“Not all of us are looking for deep meaningful connections,” Tish retorted.  She finished off her tea and joined Martha in the kitchenette.  “Since we’re on the subject of the gorgeous Mr. Stark, do you know if he’s still dating that ginger from the papers?”  Martha nodded, causing Tish to exhale sharply.  “Figures.  The good ones are always taken.”

“Speaking of the good ones, I should give Steve a ring,” Martha announced as she crossed the flat to retrieve her cellphone, which she realized was dead upon picking it up.  “Did you unplug my mobile?”

“I needed the power point.”

Martha closed her eyes and groaned.  “Are you bloody kidding me?  Steve could have been trying to get in touch with me.”  She opened her eyes and held out her hand.  “Give me yours.  I need to make sure we’re still on for dinner.  That is if I don’t _kill_ you first.”

Tish scoffed softly as she slapped her mobile into Martha’s hand.  “Love you too, sis,” she said sarcastically.

Martha quickly began to dial Steve’s number, glad that she knew it by heart, but before the first ring there was a knock at the door.  “Answer that,” she gestured, turning her back to the door.

Martha heard the door when it opened followed by Tish’s greeting.  “Hiya,” she said with enthusiasm, letting Martha know that her unseen visitor was probably male.

“Hi.  I’m sorry, but I was looking for Martha Jones,” Steve’s voice announced behind her.  “Is she here?”

Martha instantly spun around to see him and Sam standing in the other side of her door.  “Steve?  What are you doing here?”

“You didn’t answer your phone,” Steve retorted, glancing quickly at Tish before focusing on Martha as he crossed the threshold.

“Did something happen?” Martha demanded, uneasily.

Steve grimaced slightly.  “I think we have a lead.”

Martha gasped and clutched his arms tightly.  “Oh my god!  Are you sure?”

“Maybe.”  He shrugged.  Martha knew him well enough to know that he was downplaying it.  Since learning that Bucky was alive, they had had several leads, but each trail had gone cold before it led to anything substantial.

“Don’t mind me.  I’ll just stand here without my trousers while you talk to strangers,” Tish said suddenly, reminding Martha of her sister’s presence.

Martha groaned softly before pulling away from Steve to look at her sister.  “Steve, this is my sister.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Tish,” Steve told her with a polite smile while offering her a hand.

“Can’t say the same for you,” Tish retorted.  Martha made a point to snatch a pair of shorts from the stack on the bed and shoved them into Tish’s freehand.

“Forgive my rudeness,” Steve apologized.  “I’m Steve Rogers and this is my friend, Sam Wilson.”

“Nice to meet you,” Sam said with a quick nod and perhaps a fleeting glance at Tish’s legs, if Martha’s eyes hadn’t deceived her.

Tish pulled her shorts on where she stood before responding.  “Wait.  Steve Rogers?  As in Captain America?”

Steve nodded.  “One and the same.”

“Bloody hell,” Tish marveled.  She turned to Martha.  “You’ve been shagging Captain bloody America?”

“Dating,” Martha corrected.

“Wait.”  Tish narrowed her eyes at Martha.  “Is he the one you told me about before?”

“Leave it,” Martha said through gritted teeth.

“Do we want to be hearing that story?” Sam asked Steve. 

“It’s him though, right?” Tish pressed.  “Gorgeous Steve with the magic fingers and the multiple or—”

“LETITIA!” Martha shrieked.  “For Christ’s sakes!  Could you _please_ put a lid on it?”

Sam spared a glance at Steve, who was doing his best not to look flustered.  “Wow!  So _that_ just happened,” he said quietly with an amused expression.

“Sorry!” Tish said quickly.

Martha scoffed. “I don’t believe that for a second.”   She grabbed Tish by the arm and dragged her over towards the window.  “What in the hell is wrong with you?!”

“Me?  You’re the one hiding a blooming superhero shag mate.”

“Boyfriend,” Martha barked back quietly.  “That is assuming that meeting you hasn’t put him off me completely,” she added bitterly.

“So worse case scenario, he ditches you.  It just means he wasn’t good enough in the first place,” Tish reasoned.  She glanced at Steve and Sam for a moment before turn back to Martha.  “Are you going to shag him again?”

Martha massaged her temples.  “Can you not?”

“Look at him!  His bum is even better in person,” Tish said as she surveyed Steve slowly.  “I’d gladly pledge allegiance to that arse.”  She turned her head back towards Martha.  “Is he good?  Who am I kidding?  Of course he is!  Look at him.”  Her eyes went to Steve once more.  “I bet he’s the sort to ring you the next day too.  First thing, you know?”  She groaned softly as she forced herself to focus on Martha.  “God, I want to shag him!  Is that bad?  I mean I’ve only just met him but I definitely would.”

Martha scoffed.  “Is that what’s giving you pause?  The fact that you’ve only just met him?  _Not_ the fact that he’s dating your sister?  Seriously Tish?”

“Oi!  Meditate the mammaries, love.  I’m not out to steal your man,” Tish retorted.  “Now if for some tragic reason the two of you were ever to split up…”

“No!” Martha retorted irritably in a whisper so Steve and Sam couldn’t hear.  “You _cannot_ shag my boyfriend.  Not now.  Not bloody ever!  I don’t care if we break up or if I die from the embarrassment you seem dead set on inflicting upon me.”

Tish scoffed.  “Fine.”  She crossed her arms over her chest.  “What about his mate, Sam?”  She looked at the other man.  “He’s pretty cute, right?”

“Adorable,” Martha answered with a heavy sigh.  “But Sam’s appeal aside, can you pack it in?” she requested.  “I need to go with Steve and Sam.  Something has come up and I’m not sure when exactly I’ll get back, but I promise we can do something tomorrow night.”

“Something?  Like what?  Is it a mission?  Is there going to be caper?”  Tish gasped.  “Bloody hell!  Can I help?  Will there be guns?  Who am I kidding?  They’re Americans.  Of course there’ll be guns.  Do I get a gun?”

“Absolutely not,” Martha protested.  “No one is taking a gun and even if we were, you certainly couldn’t have one.”

“Why not?  You’d get one.”

“If I did, it’d be because I’m trained and mature enough to handle a firearm.”

Tish scoffed.  “Since when has maturity been a prerequisite for firing a gun?  And besides, I’m older than you.”

“Yea?  Try acting like it some time,” Martha retorted.

“Okay, look,” Tish said getting serious for a moment.  “I know I’m over the top like 99.99% of the time, but I’m still your big sister and all I've ever wanted is to look out for you,” she insisted.  “Granted, you’re usually the one doing that for me and everyone else, but I’ve got your back now and forever.  I already know you can save the world on your own, but you don’t have to, Martha.  So please…let me help you.”

Martha wasn’t keen on the idea of putting her sister in danger.  Especially since they weren’t exactly sure what state they’d find Bucky in, _if_ they found him.  But she knew Tish could hold her own if she put her mind to it.  They had faced off against Professor Lazarus together and Tish had managed to survive an entire year as one of the Master’s prisoners.  More than that, Tish was the first one to notice that something was wrong with Martha in the aftermath of the Master’s reign of terror.  She had always been Martha’s biggest supporter.  Maybe it was time she started supporting her more as well.

Martha pulled Tish into her arms and gave her a tight squeeze.  “Alright,” she conceded with a quiet sigh.  “You can come along, but you better be on your best behavior.  If I give you an order, just do it, yea?  No questions.”  She pulled back to look her sister in the eyes.  “And no ogling my boyfriend’s arse.  Are we clear?”

Tish nodded.  “Crystal.”  She pulled Martha in for a second hug.  “Besides, his sidekick is giving me the eye.”

Martha rolled her eyes as they pulled apart.  “His name is Sam and he’s not a sidekick.  He’s a bloody hero, alright?  And he’s my mate as well, so go easy on him.”

“He’s a big boy,” Tish countered, moving over to the stack of clothes on the bed to grab something to put on.  “Hopefully in more ways than one,” she added with a wink before trotting of the bathroom to get dressed.


	2. Sister Act, Part

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An impromptu mission and a visit to Avenges Tower give Tish an idea of what life is like for her little sister since meeting Steve.

Martha took a moment to center herself while they waited for Tish to get dressed.  She closed her eyes and sat on the edge of her bed.  A few seconds later, she felt a pair of strong hands on her shoulders.  “You alright?” Steve asked.

“Yea.”  Martha opened her eyes and leaned into him, desperate for the comfort of his contact.  “Just a bit overwhelmed, but I’m better now.  Thanks to you.”

“My pleasure,” Steve told her with a quick kiss to her temple.  “So I take Tish is coming along?”  Martha nodded silently.  “Is that a good idea?  When we find Bucky… _if_ we find him…”  His voice took on the usually pained strain it did whenever the topic of conversation turned to Bucky.  “We don’t know what condition he’ll be in.  Are you sure you want to expose your sister to that?”

“I’ve told you about what the Master put my family through.  Tish is a survivor.  She’s tough.  Fearless really,” Martha informed him.  “Plus, she’s promised to behave.  No more outbursts.”

“Speaking of which…”  Steve lowered his head so that his lips were near her earlobe.  “Gorgeous Steve with the magic fingers?” he questioned.

“Keep taking the piss and you’re gonna be sad Steve with the broken fingers,” she threatened playfully.

“Doesn’t seem very doctorly of you,” Steve commented, moving to sit next to her on the bed.

“Good thing for you that I’d feel guilty afterwards and nurse you back to health,” Martha promised.

“A house call from my favorite doctor?  I might be willing to take one for the team,” Steve replied, pressing his forehead against hers.

“I think I can squeeze you in for an appointment,” Martha told him before leaning in for a gentle kiss.

Somewhere to her left, she heard Sam clearing his throat, spurring her and Steve to pull apart.  “Still here,” Sam reminded them.

Tish had returned from changing and stood next to him with her arms folded over her chest.  “Are they always this way?”

“You know, I haven’t spent that much time with the two of them together,” Sam confessed.  “But from what I can tell…yea they are.”

“It’s sorta sweet, yea?” Tish replied.  “You know in that way that’s nice in small doses, but has the potential to make you ill.”

Martha scoffed softly, pulling away from Steve completely and standing up.  “Are you done?”

“Are _you_?” Tish challenged.

“Pack it in,” Martha said.  “We need to get serious.  We have a mission.”

“So what’s the deal anyway?” Tish asked.  “Where are we going?”

“Texas,” Steve answered.

“Texas?”  Tish scoffed.  “Why in God’s name would we go _there_?”

Sam quirked a brow.  “You got something against Texas?”

Tish turned her gaze towards Sam.  “Obviously I’m not from this country, so I may be misinformed, but from what I can tell the only good things to ever come out of Texas are Beyoncé, Blue Bell ice cream and those cute little uniforms that the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders wear,” she reasoned.  “Oh!  And Dr. Pepper.”

Sam shrugged.  “Well she’s not wrong.”

“We’re looking for someone,” Steve informed Tish.  “He’s a friend, but…he’s not really himself at the moment.”

Martha put a consoling hand on Steve’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.  “Why do you think Bucky would go to Texas?”

“We think he’s backtracking,” Steve explained.  “Revisiting the sites of some of the Winter Soldier’s past crimes.  He’s probably hoping to trigger some memory.”

“That makes sense.”  Martha nodded.  “But I’m assuming we’re not just going to be roaming freely without a plan.   I mean Texas is bigger than all of the UK.  Talk about your needle in a haystack.”

“Like I said before, we’ve got a lead,” Steve reminded her.

“Which is?” Martha pressed.

“We’re going to Dallas.”

“Dallas?” Martha repeated.  She mentally ran through what she could remember about American history in order to figure out what would draw Bucky there.  The Winter Soldier wasn’t just some generic hired hand.  He was a skilled assassin.  Hydra wouldn’t use him to kill just anyone.

“Do you think we’d get to see Southfork Ranch?” Tish asked.

“I don’t think that’s in Dallas proper,” Sam answered.

“Oh well.”  Tish sighed.  “Alright then, what about that park or whatever where the president was shot?”

“Dealey Plaza,” Steve supplied with a heavy sigh.  “And as a matter of fact, that’s exactly where we’re headed.”

Martha gasped.  “Bloody hell.”  She looked at Steve with wide eyes.  “You think the Winter Soldier was behind the Kennedy Assassination?”

Tish glanced from face to face.  “Wait.  Seriously?”

“Well they always said there was a second gunman on the grassy knoll,” Sam pointed out.

“But that was like fifty years ago, wouldn’t he be old?”

“No older than me,” Steve answered.

“He wouldn’t have aged,” Martha informed her.  “He’d be in peak physical condition.”

“Naturally,” Tish said with a scoff.  “Anything else I should know?”

Sam glanced at Tish with a shrug.  “He has a cybernetic arm,” he added.

“So let me get this straight,” Tish began.  “We’re searching a young looking, elderly, amnesiac super assassin with a metal arm that may or may not have committed one of the highest profile crimes of the 20th Century?”

Sam nodded.  “Essentially.”

“What sort of weird arse conspiracy theory shit are you lot into?” Tish demanded.

“I’ll explain along the way,” Martha promised.  “If we’re going to make it to Dallas we need to get moving.”

Between Martha, Steve and Sam’s connections, they were able to secure a private plane to take them to Dallas.  During the flight, Martha quickly caught Tish up on the Bucky situation.  “Blimey,” Tish replied once Martha was done.  They both looked at Steve who was huddled up with Sam discussing a plan of action.  “I should have known though.  You always did go for the sad ones.”

Martha sighed softly.  “What’s _that_ supposed mean?”

“Simmer down, I’m not having a go,” she insisted.  “I’m just saying you’ve always been happiest when you’ve had someone to look after.  It’s just who you are, _Dr._ Jones.”  She turned her gaze back towards Martha.  “The question is if he looks after you as well.”

Martha kept her eyes on Steve, who briefly glanced her way and gave her a smile before resuming his conversation with Sam.  “He does,” she confirmed, facing her sister fully.  “I think he’s the one, Tish.”

“Is it _that_ serious?”

Martha nodded, eyes finding Steve once more.  “Yea, it is.”

After her conversation with Tish, Martha swapped seats with Sam and Steve filled her in on the plans for when they landed in Dallas.  They’d split up so they could cover more ground, Martha with him and Sam with Tish.  She could tell Steve was nervous and a small part of her wasn’t sure if he would be happier finding Bucky or not.  On one hand, she knew he was desperate to have his best friend back, but the uncertainty of Bucky’s condition was weighing heavily on him.

As it were, the trip to Dallas led to another dead end.  They asked around, but no one had seen anyone matching Bucky’s description.  Or if they had, they were being incredibly tight lipped about it.  With the exception of Sam granting Tish’s wish to see Southfork Ranch, the whole journey had been for naught.  By the time they returned to Manhattan, Steve was feeling dejected and retreated to the Tower alone.  Martha took Tish back to her flat with the promise of making up for the lost quality time.

Once Steve was in better spirits, he and Martha made plans for Tish to visit the Tower and meet the other Avengers.  Needless to say, the elder Jones was ecstatic about encountering both Thor and her celebrity crush Tony Stark and documented the occasion with several selfies that she promptly posted to Instagram.  Natasha, unsurprisingly, refused to take any photos, but she and Tish shared vodka shots and the latter made a point to learn where the redhead had gotten her leather jacket.  Clint was probably Tish’s favorite by far, because he shared her sense of humor and knack for inappropriate outbursts.  All in all, Martha was glad to see that Tish seemed to enjoy herself and got on well with Steve and his friends.  Once or twice, Tish complained about Sam not being able to make it to the gathering, but it didn’t stop her engaging Bruce in a lively conversation that thankfully only left him blushing instead of green.

When the time came for Tish to return to England, Martha found that she was sadder than she expected.  “I’m going to miss you,” she told her sister during a tight embrace.

“I’ll be back,” Tish vowed as they pulled apart.  “Tony promised to introduce me to Pepper Potts.  Says if I send him my CV there might be room for me in the PR department at Stark Industries.  Plus, I wouldn’t mind see that Dr. Banner again,” she added with a smirk.  “He’s geeky as all get out, but he’s still a bit adorable, you know?”

“I know, but what about Sam?”

“Him as well.”  Tish beamed.  “You know me.  I like to keep my options open.”

“Who knows, you might make a deep meaningful connection after all.”

Tish rolled her eyes.  “Doubtful.  I’ll leave the happily ever after to you and Mr. Perfect.”

Martha grinned.  “So you think he’s perfect?”

“Perfect for _you_ ,” Tish clarified.  “I got him alone for a little bit during the party to see what he was about and he’s definitely one of the good ones.  He has my approval.”

“One down, three to go,” Martha replied with a quiet chuckle.

“Well Leo was all over my selfies, mouthing off about how his sister was tight with the Avengers, so I think he’ll be easy to convince.  Mum and dad might harder to win over, but if they see what I have, they won’t be far behind.”

Martha pulled her sister into one last fierce hug.  “Thank you, Tish.  For everything.”

Tish scoffed.  “I didn’t even _do_ anything.”

“Yes, you did,” Martha insisted.  “If it wasn’t for your pep talk in the beginning, I may not have even given Steve a chance.”

“Yea?  Well you can thank me by letting my pick my own maid of honor dress and making sure one of the cute ones is best man,” Tish teased.  She gave a Martha a quick peck on the cheek and picked up her bag.  “I better go.  Don’t want to miss my flight.”

“Stay out of trouble!” Martha called out to her sister as she watched her move towards the security checkpoint.

“Only if you get into some!” Tish answered back before disappearing from Martha’s sight.

An hour later, Martha was getting off the train from Queens that brought her back to Manhattan.  As she disembarked, she got text from Steve about another lead on Bucky.  She sent him a quick reply to let him know she was in if he needed her.  “My kind of trouble,” she mused to herself.


End file.
